How Facebook Can Be A Great Addition To Daily Classroom Routine

Although students (and to be honest, teachers too) may sneak onto Facebook during the school hours to read or post updates, is there a reason to encourage this behaviour?

There is no doubt that the usefulness of Facebook in Education is growing. Educators are beginning to realise the powerful potential that Facebook has in the classroom, not as a distraction, but as a collaborative learning tool.

Let’s take a look at why Facebook could be a great addition to daily classroom routine.

Quicker response to class updates. Many teachers see the benefits of using Facebook for sharing information with students and parents about homework, tests, projects, and class activities. Since many students 13 years old and over (in accordance with Facebook rules) check their Facebook accounts often, they may be more attentive to class news.

Related Article: 7 Characteristics of A Digitally Competent Teacher

Create a hub for classroom resources. By sharing links to lesson resources, you can create a place where students can easily find the information they need, no matter where they are.

Introduce information from outside sources. You can select any number of educational resources to follow so your students can see their updates.

Teach students to use social media responsibly. Recent Pew Research reports reveal that 93% of teens aged 12-17 go online and that 73% of teens use Facebook. But are they using them wisely? With issues of cyber bullying, sexting, badmouthing others, and general over sharing of private information, students could use a little help learning how to use social media appropriately. By providing guidance in a structured environment, students may better understand how to respect others while maintaining a safe and healthy social media profile.

General Rules for Teachers Using Facebook in the Classroom

Keep your posts professional. Sure, conversations in Facebook are by nature casual, and although you can (and should) keep a sense of humour, make sure the comments you make—and that students add, are ones your principal and your student’s parents would be comfortable seeing.

Also Read: 27 Characteristics of Highly Effective Teachers

“Like” pages thoughtfully. Remember that posts from pages you “like” will show in your stream, so be sure those pages are education related.

Monitor the page frequently. Check the page often to ensure comments others may have made are appropriate.

Integrate the use of Facebook in your teaching. Use it often as just one tool that increases interaction. Post homework on your page and encourage students to comment if they have questions. When you go on a field trip, have students take photos, then upload them to the page and add a caption.

Reference: Edudemic.com